Hosting Undergraduate Collegiate Cyber Competitions For Hanscom AFB To Increase Interest In Air Force Cyber Civil Service
Abstract
The University of Massachusetts Lowell Applied Research Corporation (UMLARC) proposed to host a half-day event targeted towards rising sophomores who are defined as cyber-curious. The intent was to reduce perceived barriers to the cyber field while promoting building of skills / experiences and building confidence and continued involvement / interest. A secondary goal was to promote government civil service positions and internships at Hanscom AFB to validate the potential for increased cybersecurity student engagement. This event was designed as a foundation to establish a collaborative relationship between the Air Force, University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), and the Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense League (NECCDL).The proposed event was a mix of a traditional hackathon and the actual cyber defense competition. Students were expected to manage a computer network, keep it operational, and prevent unauthorized access during the hackathon. The event was also designed to develop soft skills in leadership, communication, critical/analytic thinking, teamwork, and creativity. UMLARC constructed six challenges for the students with the support of the computer science and cybersecurity department. The challenges were designed to deploy and secure representative examples of real-world problem sets that the students would face in a cybersecurity career. The challenges gradually increased in difficulty to keep students with varying degrees of experience engaged in the challenge.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 02, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1230221
Entities
People
- Matthew Mcswain
- Sashank Narian
Organizations
- University of Massachusetts Lowell